Frozen
by Distant Lights
Summary: There's something up there.


So, a little about myself. I devote much of my Chaotic time to exploring and researching Perim. Mostly history, Mugic, and mythology, but sometimes climate and culture As of the time of writing, I've been doing this for about six years now. I've pretty much lost interest in the game itself, although I occasionally play the card game with real life friends.

I frequent the Chaotic boards for discussion and roleplaying. I'll skim the front page article, usually finding outplays from high ranked matches and sometimes Perim related. Normally positive things, but dark topics like the M'arillian invasion during the war appear. You might know where I'm headed with this.

Awakening one morning, I brought my laptop into the living room. Starting up and checking the website, a photo of a ravaged campsite in an icy cavern greeted me. The article's title read 'Players Make Shocking Discovery Atop Glacier Plains, Codemasters Involved'. This was eye-opening. If you've been to Chaotic long enough, you'll know it's serious when the Codemasters step in.

Just as the title implied two Chaotic players, whom I recognized as these daredevils, climbed the glaciers of Glacier Plains. While ascending one, they stumbled upon the cave where the campsite laid. More attached photos showed the rent tents detached from the ground, supplies scattered about and a mixture of overlapping human and bestial footprints in the snow that blew inside.

The rest of the article mentioned the players reporting it to the Codemasters. Apparently they were concerned by the findings and banned the location from porting selection. They've seldom locked down an entire location like this. There's a good gap between the M'arillian Invasion shutdown and the last major event. The last happened when I was in middle school, and I graduated high school a good four years ago.

Examining the photos closer, many of the supplies captured felt off—trash bags, vials, a briefcase laptop in pieces, and a handgun. Of course the gun was out of place, weapons aren't allowed in Chaotic. The tents were both a light blue—those issued to players in the supply depot are bottle green, and I didn't recall any previous sets being that color.

Skimming the comments, everybody was just about as clueless as me. Wishing to join the discussion, I tried replying to the comment of another user below. Clicking the submit button, however, it said the comment could no longer be found. Reloading the page, it now only read an error. The post had been removed by an administrator, likely the Codemaster's whim.

I returned to the homepage to find related threads. Users already theorized and gossiped, and that page was up for a good ten minutes before I tried commenting. I chose the first one I saw. The parent post asked if the admins just deleted that GP article, noting since when did that ever happen. The first responding post confirmed it, saying other than trolls and spam bots, they don't think they ever have.

Many believed something attacked the campers, but they ported out. But that didn't work as several pointed out. If that were the case, the Codemasters would have done nothing. Players have lost their code to Perim, and the closest form of interaction they received from Codemasters was a notification. Others suggested the whole thing was a hoax, but there were more who disagreed. One user claimed to have a Codemaster match, but it'd been canceled, which also hardly occurs. Turned out all the Codemasters canceled their matches with no explanation.

I ported my code into Chaotic to try and find out what was happening. While my virtual self discovered what she could, I went to work. My shift felt longer than normal from awaiting the ring. There were actually some periods where I preferred it didn't. I'm a student teacher and studying for important exams was underway in half of my classes.

The school day eventually ended, no code. Returning home, I watched a marathon of this criminal investigation series I love to kill time. Five episodes in, my scanner finally rung. Grabbing it and pressing the button, the memories flooded in.

In the courts, I tried learning whatever I could from other players. As before, people were as clueless and starved for answers as me. Players reportedly saw Blugon, a creature residing in Glacier Plains, appearing disturbed or perhaps even traumatized. No one dared asking about his mood, I doubt he'd answer anyway.

Players spotted Codemasters at the Plains, but we could already assume that. Many cleverly ported just outside the location's designated range. I would have tried that, but I don't possess a scan close enough to travel there on foot. Coupled with the perilous Perim probably being significantly larger than Earth, I didn't find it worth the effort.

A good friend of mine, whom I'll call Carrie for privacy, frequents Kiru City and is friends with some citizens. Hearing about this herself, she ported there to see what she could learn. Afterward she caught me in the courts and told me what she found. She visited her friend Vidav, an OverWorlder native to the Riverlands but had been staying in Kiru for business. Vidav found the situation perplexing and mentioned a lost tribe. For those unfamiliar, you have the OverWorlders, UnderWorlders, Danians, Mipedians, and partly the M'arillians who've been disjointed since Aa'une's death. The Spiritlanders are iffy with what knowledge I have, but I consider them a separate tribe. There's also the creatures in Prexxor Chasm, but most aren't intelligent enough to verbally communicate, let alone establish a government.

According to Vidav this forgotten tribe, the Frozen Ones, resides atop the glaciers in the Plains. Their only evidence is a book allegedly found by an OverWorld scholar ages ago. It was taken to the city for translation, but was lost to a wildfire. Vidav said this rumor's legitimacy was very questionable. While I felt similarly, the concept of another tribe up there fascinated me.

In the weeks following, Codemasters Oron and Tirasis checked in to play a few rounds for the accumulated list of matches one day. One player vaguely hinted at the topic with Tirasis during deck locking. The Codemaster bluntly replied "Don't."

I eventually debated on whether or not I should risk hiking to Glacier Plains. I verged on trying it one night in bed, maybe with Carrie or another friend. But then came the leak.

The next morning, I sat in the kitchen with my laptop. I'd been up for a couple hours on the Chaotic site as it was the weekend. I wrapped up a small roleplaying session in the RP section and headed to General Discussion. There I noticed a new post with a title that instantly caught my attention. Only posted a minute ago, the post subject read 'Found Recordings from Missing GP Camper' in all caps.

As fake as it seemed, I gave it a try. Clicking I read a repeat of the title, a series of audio files uploaded below. Each files' name suggested it was taken from an audio journal. Remembering how quickly the cavern article went down, I hurriedly downloaded them. Good idea, the post went down barely a minute after saving the last one.

The thread creator's username was GoodKarma6, and they'd created their account just long enough ago to post. As you could guess, they had the default avatar and no information on them, not even the country they lived in. The account was banned permanently.

I fetched my headphones then checked the file types. I felt maybe I needed to download a certain media player, but they were playable with what I had. I also ran a virus program, just to be safe. Fortunately, nothing malicious came with them. I nervously read down the line of files in my downloads folder, uncertain of what to expect. After a few more minutes of staring, I finally hovered over the first file. They were labeled numerically.

The media player opened, and I began hearing sounds of howling wind and a clearing throat. A man seemingly in his twenties spoke.

 **"February second, 2019. We've cracked the Chaotic interface and have entered Perim.** **T** **his location** **apparently** **isn't popular with Chaotic players, or even the natives for that matter,** **becaus** **e** **we** **ran into nobody on our way to the glacier.** **Not that I'm complaining.** **The climb began looking like we'd have to turn back due to how dangerous it was becoming. Luckily we fo** **und** **a cavern burrowing into the** **glacier. It's a decent place for setting up camp** **—** **goes pretty deep,** **maybe** **a little claustrophobic** **but that** **might be me."**

 **"While exploring** **the interior** **, Bree called me and Grant over to a chamber to the farthest right if you're entering the cavern. We found her poking at some dead animal with a** **fallen icicle she picked up** **. Gran** **t** **thought it'd been dead for a very long time, but just mummified** **by the cold.** **The corpse was about the size of, I don't know, maybe a baby bear? It** **looked like** **the result of a bat and a seal getting together.** **Me and Bree joked about as she tossed it into a preservation bag.** **Grant tried to be funny, but he** **can't make a joke for his life."**

 **"Bree and Grant's tents are near the entrance for some reason, while I pitched mine in a deeper chamber. This place has auroras at night much like the poles do. I saw Bree take a few pictures."**

 **"I'm going to try and get some sleep. I say try because the cold's so annoying and I should have packed warmer supplies."**

 **"End of log."**

This immediately left me with questions. This recorder and two other humans compromised a security system implemented by the Codemasters? From how he described it, it sounded like a barrier for keeping non-Chaotic players out of Perim. I'd never heard so much as a rumor about such a thing, but found its existence reasonable. There are people on Earth who'd have shadier intentions with access to Perim, and the Codemasters stress each player to keep Chaotic as unknown as possible beyond its player base.

I also wondered what exactly they were up to? The best answer for that, of course, likely lied in the audio logs. I opened the second file.

 **"February fourth. We've spent the past two days climbing** **about the glacier, picking around in search of valuable objects.** **We've found nothing yet in the range our contact described, but we still have more to cover before we can come to calling it off."**

 **"** **T** **h** **e** **se Codemasters either have no idea their security's been compromised, or they're not as willing to climb up here. I doubt they even are capable of porting us back since we're not here as digital duplicates of ourselves. The worst they could possibly do is negotiate with some natives to arrest us until they can figure out how to send us back. And then we'd have to deal with the cop** **s.**

 **"** **These guys aren't so friendly from what I hear, but honestly? It's hard to take them seriously when they act like the hot stuff over a game. Sure it's revolutionary, but still just a game."**

 **"Bree** **was** **using her binoculars to view the ground below. She said she made out a couple figures in the snow, probably human."**

 **"I couldn't help but wonder why this location isn't inhabited. Might just be me, but there's absolutely nothing here. It strikes me as odd since we at least have polar bears and penguins at the poles, but here? It's dead. In a world of beasts meant to handle the rough life they're tossed into, you'd think some life would have adapted here, right?** **It could just be me."**

 **"End of log."**

So it seemed they were after valuables in the ice? Some source, I'm assuming to be another human in a similar line of whatever their work is, told them about it. I've never even heard of ancient treasures within the glaciers. I also couldn't help but imagine a black market-like scene where Perimian objects or even beings are sold.

I wasted no time returning to the tapes. I dragged the third file to the media player.

 **"February fifth."**

 **"So me and Bree were discussing this** **world** **around the fire last night. We've been here before, but I've** **hardly learned anything about it** **. These creatures, as they're collectively called, may have existed longer than we have. What makes it hard is their equivalent of counting years** **—** **sorens or something like that. Reminds me of** **US and their special snowflake measuring system."**

 **"** **T** **he** **y'** **re split into five tribes. There's th** **e** **warrior-good guy-looking people, demon and monster people, lizard people, ant men, and tentacle creatures. But the last tribe's been torn ever since they tried conquer** **ing** **Perim** **but** **failed. This region is territory to the first tribe I mentioned, the OverWorlders. Funny thing is this entire region plus the lizard** **s'** **ground are called the OverWorld. We've ran into members of th** **e latter** **tribe before** **—** **well, nearly ran into them.** **Long story short, ha** **d it not been for Reza sleeping earlier than us, we likely w** **ouldn't be here** **. And unlike Chaotic players, for good.** **He couldn't join this time though—after a certain mishap, someone needs to stay behind and watch our apartment.** **"**

 **"We still haven't found anything of value. To make matters more irritating, another blizzard's passing over us. It's not as strong as the last one, but it's still nasty. Grant's be** **ginning to whine** **,** **says his hands will fall off** **soon** **and if they do we'd at least dig up something to pay for** **prosthetic limbs.** **Bree honestly isn't much better when she's stressed out, but she's been** **pretty calm this trip."**

 **"There's also been this form of noise I've been hearing at night. It's like an elk bugle, only** **more baritone? I don't know.** **I can't tell where it's coming from, but it better not climb up here. Or down."**

 **"End of log."**

Taking a small break from listening, I checked the forums to see if a duplicate post containing the files had been posted. Nothing, but a new thread had been created for the discussion of it. Enough people had seen it, and possibly even downloaded the files like I had.

I played the next file and listened.

 **"February seventh. This is ridiculous. There is absolutely nothing here. We've been had. We just completed searching the entire location and once again nothing. The guy said it was all concentrated within this spot. Either he messed up his coordinates, which I honestly don't believe, or he played us for suckers."**

 **"Me and the others are all in agreement on leaving this deathtrap** **ASAP** **. Bree's been collecting samples and has a couple things remaining. I doubt I'll have to remind her to speed it up, she's about as pissed as I am and wants to get back to our contact."**

 **"What would he even send us up here for if he lied? Holy crap, what if he diverted us away so he could rob our apartment?** **Argh,** **s** **hould have known he looked too sketchy. If only our only means of communication could connect with a net signal back on Earth, it's not like it isn't capable of doing anything more extreme."**

 **"** **If he did steal something, or worse, he's dead."**

This log entry was peculiar to where I took a small break to make a quick web search. At the time of writing, the date of the logs I'd listened to so far hadn't been recorded too long ago. I wished to see if there was an article covering anything that had to do with this supposed contact, the campers, and a Reza. I thought if there was an article posted somewhere, it'd be relatively easy to find. It was really the only lead I could use to sort the results out. It would also likely be published during February or March.

After roughly ten minutes of typing in similar keywords, scrolling through search results to various small websites, and skimming across a couple pages, I found nothing that sounded like the case that may have been filed for what I suspected had happened next.

With some thoughts and questions swimming though my mind, I proceeded to the fifth recording. While I listened, I continued surveying the Chaotic forum boards. It was more of skimming than actual reading.

 **"February eighth."**

 **"We're in even deeper trouble now.** **Dammit.** **"**

 **"You see, when we made the jump from Earth to Perim, we did so using a special form of laptop computer Reza had received from a quote-on-quote generous contact. Whoever he or she was, I've never learned who. This is a special type of computer, a model that will be released to the public in** **probably** **never. Wherever this thing came from, it's capable of scanning matter within a radius using a modified version of a webcam then transferring it into data along with itself. It will then transport itself and all the scanned subjects to Perim and vice versa. In case you're wondering how it's possible, it's due to Perim being made of a code-like structure that can be harnessed by our technology. This is some top secret** **property** **Reza's in possession of, I know. It's shocking we** **'ve** **never had the feds knocking on our door, or breaking it down."**

 **"This is how we've been making our trips to Perim for scavenging. But when I woke up this morning, Grant greeted me with a flushed face and it didn't appear to be from the cold. I asked him what was wrong, and he just motioned me to follow him. I did as I put my jacket on and kept asking what the hell was happening** **with still no** **response** **. He lead me to the** **ir tents** **where Bree stood beside her** **s** **, arms folded and with a similar face. I approached her and asked her what was going on, seeing as Grant was silent. She told me to look at something as she reached into the tent. What she pulled out left me with my own face of paleness and a resulting sunken stomach."**

 **"It was our laptop, the keyboard coated in a brown fluid. It ran along the sides, whatever the thick crap was. Bree explained the substance had fried the computer so badly it wouldn't even turn on. I grew frightened and enraged at the same time. I was about to demand wh** **o spilled** **what, but when I yanked it from Bree's hands** **I could** **smell the liquid. The scent wasn't like anything I'd ever smelled before. It reminded me of several things, but the one I was the most reminded of was was... sugar. It was bizarre, nothing like everything Bree had sampled from this place."**

 **"Then she pointed towards the ground. As if it couldn't get any worse, I realized there were tracks in the snow. They stood out easily from ours. They weren't huge, but definitely not huma** **n and barefoot** **. These belonged to a Perimian of some sort. One path lead into the cave and stopped outside the tent, and a second path lead away from it and back outside. Bree said she didn't wake up at all last night, and neither did Grant. They hadn't followed the tracks just yet, being more concerned with our only means of leaving had been destroyed. So after Bree explained the remaining details of the laptop's state, I went to see where they lead. Grant volunteered to join."**

 **"We followed them to the ledge and they vanished near the walls of the glacier. It was obvious they'd climbed around the glacier to us. While Grant thought the trail went cold there, I decided to climb and search the other small ledges we'd been using. I actually did find a few more pairs of the footsteps among ours,** **more of** **ours."**

 **"But then it** **got** **weird. While making my way down from exploring the higher ledges, I glanced at one I forgot to check. It was about five, six feet below me, off to my right. It was out of the way from most of the others, so the snow coating** **it** **was mostly fresh, save a couple bootprints the size of Bree's feet. But there was another few sets, and they didn't belong to either us or our little guest. They were huge, but more human than the other creature feet, which looked eerily canine or vulpine or something in that family. I grew a bit nervous from examining them. I turned to Grant to see if he was still along the ledge, but he'd returned back inside.** **Go figure."**

 **"I hopped over to it and got a closer look. I placed my own foot in the center of one of the track** **s** **. Now my feet aren't necessarily big, but they're quite large. The damn thing was three times my foot's size. I'm not sure if that's the normal size of these people, but the imagery I got from that caused me to become... worried. Well, even more than we already were."**

 **"I returned to the cavern and told Bree and Grant of my findings. They** **looked terrified."**

 **"** **Afterward, Bree said she may be able to fix the computer with a few tricks or some junk in her bag. She ha** **s** **no idea how long it would take, however. None of us were thrilled by that realization. But as far as survival goes, we can hold out for a fair time. Being surrounded by water, we don't have to worry about dying of thirst. We packed plenty of food, and that thing didn't touch anything else besides the computer."**

 **"Though in all honesty, that's the one part that** **gets** **me the most. Why touch the laptop of all our supplies? That creature couldn't have known what it did. Unless... it's been watching us—** **they've been watching us. And the bugle I heard..."**

 **"The idea of this place being uninhabited feels much more comforting now."**

 **"End of log."**

Half of my mind waded in the thoughts and questions regarding the recordings, mainly the most recent one I played. That form of technology made me feel like I'd downloaded much more than expected. These definitely weren't innocent people who'd teleported there for exploring or photography. They were undoubtedly criminals, thieves who stole Perimian objects to sell to whoever would buy them.

But there were pieces still missing. I continued.

 **"February tenth. Bree's barely made any progress on fixing the computer. Well, she managed to get it working again, but it's acting very glitchy and constantly fails to perform tasks. She's trying to perform a reboot with the recovery disc she brought along. I really hope it works, Reza. I want to actually feel my toes for once in like a week. And of course pay a visit to you know who."**

 **"** **It's going to** **take a very long time considering the gargantuan amount of data on that thing. This is just assuming everything goes thro** **ugh** **. We still have no idea what** **that sugary substance** **is.** **But, t** **he matter transporting it is easily the hugest taker of space on its memory."**

 **"Everybody's becoming paranoid I think. The others seemed to have caught onto the possibility of someone watching us.** **Grant** **and Bree have become more observant of their surroundings, a** **s** **have I. The others peer out the cavern regularly** **and** **have** **become more weary of uncommon noises. I think Bree's been putting something in front of her tent at night in the hopes of discouraging it or them."**

 **"We haven't seen any fresh tracks from them since that morning. And I hope it stays that way. Maybe they won't come back. After all, who would want to climb this high once let alone again. It's the perfect solitude."**

 **"End of log."**

 **"February eleventh. Bree's again unable to fix anything on the damn computer. She's still trying out other possible repair methods,** **it seems… helpless** **. Our gateway out of this mess is broken. We're beyond screwed now. I fear we'll have to pack up and attempt to find some other means of getting off this world, but who the hell would have that?"**

 **"As if our situation isn't awful enough, Grant's been growing more skittish since we were visited that night. He isn't taking it as well as me or Bree. Bree, on the other hand, has** **still** **been faring awfully well with the situation. I didn't expect her to keep her head up in this hole we've fallen in. I honestly thought she'd be the first to cave in. As of me, well, I'm not to the point of breaking down. At least not yet."**

 **"Again, nothing possibly related to our creatures has surfaced. Bree was viewing the ground again with her binoculars. She thought she may have seen a group of figures resembling the Codemasters, but couldn't identify them with the low visibility. Great."**

 **"** **Now** **it may just be my mind diluting the sound, but I swear I heard a whisper last night while reading one of the books I brought along, which I didn't actually believe I'd get around to using. But it may have been just the wind creating a unique sound through the gales of the blizzard that still hasn't gone away. Either it's moving at a slow speed, or it's actually that large. Combined with the falling snow and the auroras still shining through the clouds, this place doesn't look as terrifying at night."**

 **"Here's to a better tomorrow. End of log."**

During the last few seconds of the log, I heard the sound of a popping something, I believed it to be a lid. Perhaps he'd packed some alcoholic beverage in this supplies?

 **"February** **twelfth.** **"**

 **"I heard that noise again, the bugle. I heard it twice during the day, and Grant was there to hear the first. I haven't heard it since the last time I mentioned it. They were very weak this time, probably indicating the creature was farther away from us than** **previously** **. I hope it stays far away."**

 **"I'm afraid we're going to be visited by that other creature** **or creatures** **who sneaked in and ruined our computer. Who knows,** **maybe they'll return t** **o finish the job? Even so, I still don't understand why it spilled that substance on the keyboard. I-** **I just** **want to believe it's accidental,** **unintentional,** **but it just makes no sense."**

 **"Bree's barely gotten anywhere since the last entry. I'm not going to question how if she gets it up and running again."**

 **"I was checking out the specimen we found during our first few excavations of the glaciers. I thought 'what if there are more of these things, maybe an entire species'.** **I wish I hadn't."**

 **"I can't recall the last time I've had trouble sleeping."**

 **"February thirteenth. Something was in here again last night. I awoke in the middle of the night to hear Bree screaming the most blood curdling scream I've ever heard. I didn't even put on my coat, I just ran out of the tent. When I got there, I found Grant panicking while looking around their part of the cave. Bree was still in her tent, shak** **ing in her sleeping bag** **. I asked her what happened and she just said she woke up and found something poking its head through the tent entrance with** **these** **glowing copper eyes. When she screamed it fled, but here's the confusing and scary part. Grant was out of the tent seconds after she screamed, he would have at least heard the footsteps of the intruder. Hell, the first place he checked after checking on Bree was the glacier cliffs. He had the strongest of our flashlights in his hands, and it's not that dark here even at the dead of night. He should have seen something, unless the thing was that damn fast."**

 **"While Grant climbed around, I searched the rest of the cave. The two other back caverns are dead ends, so if it w** **as back there, it was… waiting, hiding?** **I grabbed the gun from Bree's bag and went back there with my own light. I searched both and found nothing, everything remained as undisturbed as we've** **left** **it. I was relieved since I was doubtful a small lead bullet would** **put down** **just about anything on this world** **down."**

 **"I returned to the main camp and remembered something. Last time something visited us, they left behind tracks. I looked down an** **d** **certainly enough I found a pair of them. They were definitely not human, but not the largest ones we've found so far. They started at the edge of the cliff where it entered the cave, then made its way over to Bree's tent. And then they... they just stopped. They stopped right freaking there where** **it** **stood and peered into Bree's tent.** **Bree was hysterical** **and** **at** **this point so am I."**

 **"Grant came back a couple minutes later. He found more fresh tracks and they led downward from the highest cliff, but beyond that there was no trace of the creature. We were stumped and scared to death, how could it have escaped? Grant thought maybe the creature had a special gear that could teleport the user, like this one called the Telebracer. The thought soothed my mind as it made sense, but I had to wonder why it climbed all the way down here if it had such technology. I didn't bring it up as it wouldn't have helped."**

 **"After some more thinking about it, I went back to Bree about the creature. I wanted to get a better description of it, just in case it helps somehow later on. She was willing to talk more about it, and gave me a more detailed appearance. Rather than with words, she gave it through a sketch. I watched her get out some paper and a pen and start drawing. I just watched her quietly as the whole thing came together and I was faced with a depiction of our monster as well as she could** **recall.** **Its head poking through the tent entrance, I saw the silhouette of a creature with thick fur, ears resembling that of** **a goat and bull crossed** **. It had these** **curved** **horns that** **seemed** **overgrown. Its uncolored eyes were** **gaping and** **large. She noticed it holding onto the** **tent** **flap with its hand, huge like his eyes with long,** **untrimmed** **nails** **. It seemed to only have two fingers, but there may have been a thumb on that hand."**

 **"This left me more unsettled, but for certain reasons aside from the obvious. The creatures here have a more fantastical look to them. Everything here is reminiscent of fantasy fiction, I can see it with how these people dress and behave. But this thing... despite being just a darkened figure, doesn't feel like it belongs here,** **maybe** **the same with** **the other creatures we've encountered so far. These things are something else, I'm sure of it. Or maybe I'm just overreacting.** **I have no idea anymore."**

 **"The sun's coming up, I'll have to keep myself awake so I don't mess up my sleeping patterns... end of log."**

 **"February sixteenth... why am I even using dates?"**

 **"We haven't seen any new guests, nor have we found any signs of them coming in during the night. But that doesn't help the fact that we're all looking over our shoulders now** **even more** **. To deal with our intruder problem, someone's going to stay up later, then another will awaken and take their place. We'** **ll** **begin tomorrow, Grant and Bree are cycling together first."**

 **"Those bugles, they're echoing** **again** **. They're loud sometimes, but are more often quiet. My heart skips a beat every time I hear it, I bet the others are the same way. We're defenseless against whatever they are, all humans are when faced with Perimians."**

 **"Our food supply isn't critical, but it's running out. We're going to pack up and leave here soon. Well, as soon as the weather improves.** **The blizzard's become** **nasty, the snow's thicker than anything we've seen so far. There's just one small issue with going down, however. If we left the cave and climbed our way down, we'd have to traverse whatever lies ahead until we find civilization. Who knows how long that will take? We have no clue if anything in the wilds, if we encounter any, will be edible. We'd probably have to rely on Chaotic players for help, and that may be tricky. I doubt even the regions around the Plains are popular with the kids. Maybe the creatures, but that's a different story."**

 **"Up is not a** **n** **option. Those things are not friendly."**

 **"I'm not sure about anything anymore. I'm starting to** **think we've just stumbled upon the lurking grounds for bound spirits or something. There's no shortage of them here."**

 **"Bree... what? Sorry, I thought I heard something** **—** **other than the bugles. Um, Bree's given up on the computer entirely. Grant looks like he's about to flip out. He still has all his limbs."**

 **"I'm…** **I'm just done for now.** **End of log."**

 **"February seventeenth. You may not be able to hear what I'm saying clearly, but I'm trying to hear something. There's this scratching sound I've been hearing all night. It's weak and I don't know what it is. I've searched outside, there's nothing else here. Grant says he doesn't hear it. I must be losing it."**

 **"The bugles are getting louder** **overall** **. You may be able to hear them if you listen closely. I actually tried to climb out there a little to find out what the source of the noise is, but** **to no success.** **Maybe it's best if we don't know..."**

 **"The noise stopped. I'm going to try and rest, I need sleep. End of log."**

 **"February eighteenth,** **I think. It should be past their equivalent of midnight.** **I've been awake entire night so far. It's me and Bree this time, she's asleep right now. I'm wandering the caverns to keep myself going. I'm keeping it quiet for them."**

 **"We haven't heard the bugles since this morning. One went off and none follow** **ed.** **Bree and Grant seem relieved, but I'm worried. This can't be good. They've been toying with us, I'm sure of it. Now they're switching tactics** **—** **they're trying to fool us and lower our guards."**

 **"Well** **I'm not falling for i** **t.** **I have the gun with me** **—i** **f they try anything sneaky, they're.** **T** **asting.** **L** **ead!"**

 **"I did hear those scratching noises** **once more** **earlier, but nothing since. We've reached a portion of our rations I'm not a very big fan of. I've always hated raisins, grapes..."**

 **"I'm still worried about Reza. He's probably fine, but I have a bad feeling about our little contact. The police may have gotten involved already. If not, I hope it stays that way."**

 **"** **Oh i** **f we ever get home..."**

 **"End of log."**

 **"Same night."**

 **"I knew the silence wasn't good. When I went back to** **the chamber** **my tent** **'s in** **to take something from my secret stash, I noticed something** **written on** **the back wall that I know wasn't there before.** **One of the** **m** **scribbled my name on the wall.** **How the hell do they know that's my name? Could they know English? Holy..."**

 **"** **I think** **I can't sleep anymore. I'll feel drained and I can shut my eyes, but my body refuses to rest. I'm losing it, aren't I? I bet the others will put distance between them and me soon."**

 **"** **I don't feel like being around my spot for a while.** **End of log."**

 **"It's about early morning now, the sun's just barely beginning to rise."**

 **"I know I've already said it, but… w** **hatever these things are, they're not like the rest of Perim. I know I repeat myself, but... God."**

 **"** **I feel like a** **complete** **idiot. They've been creeping around us this whole** **time and we n** **ever noticed it s** **ave** **a few times. And now, they're getting personal. What's next, a new word beneath my name?** **A little something for the others?"**

 **"** **I showed the** **m** **that** **by the way,** **my name on the wall.** **We're going to leave** **even sooner** **, even with th** **is** **weather. This is just too much and it's beginning to not make sense anymore like I said. End of -"**

 **"It's that sound again,** **the scratching** **. It's coming from right above me."**

 **"Right abov** **e...** **o** **h god.** **"**

The man burst from the tent, firing two shots from a gun. With the second came a cry of pain from a higher-pitched voice. Its owner hit the floor and moaned in pain. The recorder ran, not bothering to finish off whatever he found. The other campers' voices speak with the man not far away. I couldn't make out what they said clearly, but I made out the word 'ceiling' from the recorder. Their voices began fading, likely as they readied to flee, but then came the bugle. This time, it was much louder and clearer. Other voices accompanied it—roars and screams from the campers. Only one more bullet fired from that gun, it must have been knocked from the holder's grasp.

I listened in terror as the creatures seemingly captured them. The girl, Bree, pleaded for them to not kill her. Grant, judging by their different male voice, put up a loud struggle with whatever held him. Loud footsteps could be heard alongside the rest for a couple minutes until it became quiet. The moaning, which had been recorded for the duration of the raid, grew louder. Another pair of large footsteps crunched in the direction of the recorder. The moaning creature was taken away from the chamber to be healed (I'm assuming), the two conversing in a language I'd never heard before.

As they faded, a third voice was picked up by the recording equipment. It came closer to the tent and stopped for a moment. The tent sounded like it was ripped off the ground and tossed aside as the creature began sorting through the man's belongings. He soon picked up the recorder and examined it, his heavy breaths practically nullifying the background noise.

And the file ended there, be it the creature figured out which button meant stop or the rest had been edited out.

I sat there in my chair for a little while, just staring off at random objects around me. Eventually I collected myself enough to check the forum thread tab, remembering I'd left it open. Nothing of value came from searching the newer posts, just arguing and such. I'd forgotten all my theories.

I wished for the logs to be fake—a decently executed hoax. But it all felt so real. So… genuine. Who could have leaked these audio logs I thought? I take it they were part of either investigation, or found out through another leak. Maybe they didn't want Jesse's group's fate to remain a mystery? Or as far fetched as I admit this sounds, the contact was meant to hear the logs? Could he really have sent them there to die? Maybe they were in debt or tempered the wrong person?

For the next couple weeks, I honestly expected someone to visit me about the files. The Codemasters don't mess around, and they aren't afraid to go far for their affairs. But nobody came, the files just sat there in my downloads folder. I thought about editing some of them in order to make out anything I may have missed, but I just couldn't move my mouse over the files. I just deleted them the next day.

But it didn't end there.

A couple weeks later, I recalled Blugon's dreadful face the day of the camper article. I felt perhaps he'd lightened up since then. It took a few days to actually investigate as the Codemasters still had Glacier Plains banned from players. Once it was available again I ported my code into Chaotic. Much like before, I spent the entire day at work waiting for the ring. The day again went sluggishly, with me frequently glancing at my bag. As before, nothing.

When I got home, I redressed and headed out to enjoy the weather. It hadn't been so nice in quite some time and likely wouldn't be again for a while. I went around town for a couple hours before stopping at a small restaurant with outdoor tables to eat. I ordered something and read a novel I'd slacked on to kill time.

Nearing the end of part two, I heard the familiar ring of my scanner. I'd actually forgotten about sending my code to Chaotic. Quickly pulling it out, it was sure enough my Chaotic self calling me. I stared at the screen for a moment with a deep breath. Something told me this wouldn't be pretty.

I slowly pressed down the button until I heard the clicking sound, the memories all flooding in. I felt the blood flushing from my face.

As soon as I ported into Chaotic, I headed to Glacier Plains. When I arrived, I found several other players around me. Everybody had jackets and coats on, while I hadn't bothered to even borrow a coat from the supply depot. I hadn't seen so many players in the location at once since Tangath Toborn's ceremony. They all just seemed to be there to catch anything.

I began searching around for Blugon's residence. I recalled having found it in the past, a cavern beneath a cliff, and used familiar landmarks to find it. A good half hour's worth of shivering violently later, I spotted it just where I remembered it to be. He'd given it some renovations, applying a wooden door over the entrance and attaching a lantern into the icy wall nearby. I found them warming and welcoming in such a blistering, unforgiving location.

I approached the door and knocked on it a few times. I didn't receive an answer, nor did I hear footsteps inside, so I gave it a second try. I only got to knock once before the door flew open and Blugon asked me what I wanted loudly. He didn't seem open to visitors at the time, but I still tried. His face suggested he knew very well of what was going on, and remained silent until I asked him if he knew anything. He just told me to leave and began to close the door, but I wasn't done yet. I held the door and stopped him from shutting it, begging him to speak. I mentioned the audio log to him just to see what bringing up the campers would do, and that grabbed his attention. Checking around us, he beckoned me to come inside.

He entered a further back chamber, telling me to wait there. I took a seat on this rock besides the wall and waited, taking in the warmth of the cave. He had a fireplace burning nearby, and it never felt nicer to rest before. I had a tightness in my stomach from the potential whatever awaited me.

Blugon returned about a minute later and handed me something. It was a digital camera, black, with a couple scratches across its glossy surface. Examining it, I quickly realized who this camera may have belonged to and faced Blugon. Saying he found this shortly before my arrival, he told me to search through the gallery. Knowing where this was going I gulped and turned on the camera, its battery at roughly twenty percent. I messed around with the buttons a little until I found the photo storage and related menus.

The photos, specifically the newest ones taken, were from the camp. Some were of the specimen the recorder had mentioned his team finding in the first log. A few others were of the also mentioned auroras you can see above you during nighttime in this location. I glanced at Blugon and, while no longer facing me, still had that worrisome expression across his fuzzy blue face. I then noticed the options to browse the videos, and I knew where it was.

I selected it and was greeted to several videos, but focused on the newest one recorded. My heart stopped as I saw the thumbnail. I viewed the video despite my horrific discovery, all seventeen seconds of it.

Somewhere in the plains a tall, scarred and musclebound creature with thick, messy brown fur held the camera, the lens facing his chest. The heavy shaking and blur of the camera suggested he didn't know he'd actually hit the record button. He seemingly inspected the camera for the duration of the video, grunting lightly while shaking and tapping at it.

But that's not what unnerved me. Sticking out from behind a pile of snow in the background were a woman's naked bruised legs. They were pale, with several large and poorly sewn stitches. I could hardly make out the blue tattoo on her left leg.

It was Bree. The video was recorded two and a half weeks prior to me watching it.

Blugon then lead me outside. He took me to a partially disturbed section of land not far away. He explained this was Bree's unmarked grave. Shortly prior to the article, he heard the sounds of something falling into the snow hard near a glacier, like it'd plummeted from a great height. He searched the area where he believed it came from and found her nude body, eyes wide open and on her back. The rest of her body was lined in similar stitches to those across her legs. The Codemasters had a look, but concluded they had all they needed and left the body for him to bury. I take it they're unable to transfer non-Chaotic players after all.

He also said Raimusa, a creature living nearby in Crystal Range, found Grant. A couple days after Bree's body turned up, the samurai got a knock. To his surprise he found him, appearing very sick and coughing up a strange substance and claimed he couldn't just port home. He died shortly after Raimusa brought him inside, the substance probably poisonous to his body. Raimusa couldn't learn anything from Grant as he was very uncooperative and disoriented. I asked Blugon what color the liquid was and he answered brown. Just like the same liquid found drenched across the laptop. Raimusa also buried the body, though the Codemasters had it briefly exhumed to collect samples, likely the bizarre liquids in him.

They never found the third camper. After a second and successful shot at article searching, I learned his name was Jesse Stokes. Him, Grant Shoemaker, Brianna Spry, and Reza Sadiq, all in their early to mid twenties, lived in the same apartment together in a small Californian town. They'd only been caught for real minor crimes. A missing persons report was filed after an anonymous tipster told local police of their disappearance and searches lead nowhere. Checking their apartment several belongings, electronics to be exact, were missing from the home. Reza also was nowhere to be found.

As far as Earth is concerned, all four are declared missing persons. I can only imagine their families' reactions. I'd honestly go out of my way to track them down and tell the truth, but I fear I'll wind up regretting it. Chaotic and Perim might be known to our government, but I doubt they want the general public learning about them.

As for their contact, the man who informed them of valuables in the glacier, he's never been identified.

The Codemasters continue to remain silent on the matter. The few who bring it up are simply ignored or told to be quiet like that player who spoke with Tirasis. In Chaotic the hype's died down, but the topic is still very alive. I turned in Bree's camera to Codemaster Crellan a few days after watching the video. Hopefully they can make use of it.

After I told everything to Carrie, she paid Vidav another visit. He said the upper parts of the glaciers having gone generally unexplored. It sort of reminds me of our oceans. We've only explored a slither of what's down there, and who knows what awaits us?

Speaking of Vidav, I also recall the Frozen tribe he mentioned. Well, whatever is up there, Frozen or not, they're probably hostile. Perhaps they're just better left alone? But Chaotic players will always flock to the next big discovery, no matter the danger. As for Perim learning of a potential new tribe, I'm not sure. Many likely wouldn't care, but inquisitive creatures like Vidav may be willing to try communicating. The success on that's like a coin toss in my opinion.

I've become acquainted with Blugon since the day I viewed Bree's camera, and visit the location more often. While there sometimes, I look up at the glaciers and wonder. On rare occasions, I swear I hear risen feral voices up there.

That one creature writing Jesse's name also leaves me wondering. Could players have met these people before and taught them something? Doubtful, but interesting to think about. Many players do keep their discoveries to themselves, Vidav's told Carrie a plethora of useful things but outside me trusts telling no one.

Still, only time will tell what happens from here. And I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it turns out grim.


End file.
